Modernized Reti

The Reti opening is an ambitious weapon for White. By avoiding the main theoretical debates, White tries to reach an unbalanced position from an early stage of the game, with many different plans being available. Recently, most of the top grandmasters have included the Reti in their repertoire. It is not necessarily their main weapon, but players such as Kramnik, Aronian, Grischuk, and even Carlsen (to name a few), play it - and that is an excellent sign.

The author recommends the different move-orders where White plays 1.Nf3 and 2.c4 against most of Black's moves, putting immediate pressure on d5, preventing Black from taking control of the centre. White plays a kingside fianchetto in most cases (especially when Black starts with 1 ..d5). And this first fianchetto is often followed by another - if possible. The most critical lines covered are those where Black plays 1 .. d5 and 2 ..d4, because he will try to take space, following up with 3 ..c5, heading for a reversed Benoni.

White's aim is to reach a middlegame full of subtle resources where he has various ways to react in the center and a pair of powerful bishops. Black may not feel confident in these kind of unfamiliar middlegames.

The present book aims at providing a complete Reti repertoire for White.The only variations not covered in detail are those few which transpose quickly into other main lines, that are not related to the Reti, such as the Maroczy or the King's Indian (although an alternative is offered). The author explains these transpositions and suggests types of set-up for White to choose.

The author aims to be helpful to players of all strengths, from club player to strong grandmaster, who want to start playing the Reti or improve their understanding of it.

Hopefully this book will be enjoyable to read and help you to score some nice wins with the "Modernized Reti"!